The Sophisticated Lady Jazz Quartet - Left Coastin' -- LP 45 giri 180 gr. - Yarlung Records - SIGILLATO

Executive producers: Craig and Diane Martin

Sophisticated Lady jazz quartet pays homage to the Great Tradition of American Jazz but most of their repertoire is written by members of the quartet. Unlike the majority of contemporary jazz recordings, which are carefully and surgically patched together in postproduction, this album remains raw and fresh. These tracks are complete takes, "live to tape," without editing. The music on this recording is how Sophisticated Lady plays without the help of digital manipulation. Left Coastin' celebrates bass player and composer Gary Wicks who composed and led improvisations on three of the four tunes on this LP. Pianist Misha Adair Bigos helps us celebrate a busy day and stumble into a quiet night with the last track. The quartet rehearsed and performed some of these tunes before our concert and recording but many are the first time through; the quartet discussed the tunes and who would take what solo in which order but without rehearsal. I wanted the intensity of raw improvisation. This is possible when superb musicians tackle new material together, listening carefully to each other and playing as a single organism. Music cannot get fresher than this. I am always grateful when musicians of this caliber share their talents with us.
- Bob Attiyeh, producer

Kudos to Sophisticated Lady for some of the most intelligent and soulful playing I've heard in a long while. Mr. Wicks is clearly the Stephane Grappelli of the bass. Mr. Boyle's atomic clock accuracy was outshone only by his remarkable sensitivity and nuanced 'drumist' vocabulary. Mr. Kirkpatrick's winsome lines... took us beyond the trumpet and through the gamut of melody-instrument domains. And Mr. Bigos' hands fell lacelike over his ivories with the finesse... of traditional Portuguese tatting amid a rainbow of colored threads.

A unique voice. Great improvising. One can hear everything on this recording, all the nuances and textures. I can really listen to this music because they have their own classic style. So much jazz is all the same today. 'Sophisticated Lady' is refreshing.